Mexican Cooking for Kids

Flour Tortillas

Homemade flour tortillas take a little muscle work to roll out, but they taste fresh and are perfect for tacos, quesadillas, fajitas, and wraps.

Ingredients

• 4 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 4 tablespoons oil
• 1 1/2 cups warm water

Directions

1. In a mixing bowl, add flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir together.
2. Pour in oil and warm water and blend together.
3. Knead several minutes.
4. Cover and let sit for 30 minutes.
5. Pull off balls of dough and roll each ball into a tortilla shape.
6. Cook each tortilla for a few minutes on each side in a hot skillet.

Kid-Friendly Tip: Kids can help mix the dough, count dough balls, and roll tortillas with supervision.

See more about making homemade tortillas with kids.

Mexican Bean Dip

This layered Mexican bean dip is an easy party recipe kids can help assemble.

Ingredients

• 16 ounces refried beans mixed with cooked ground beef
• Guacamole, homemade or store bought
• 1 cup sour cream mixed with taco seasoning
• Shredded lettuce
• Grated cheddar cheese
• Chopped tomatoes
• Chopped olives
• Chopped onions, optional

Directions

1. Spread the refried bean and beef mixture in the bottom of a serving dish.
2. Add a layer of guacamole.
3. Spread the seasoned sour cream over the guacamole.
4. Top with lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, olives, and onions if using.
5. Serve with tortilla chips.

Kid-Friendly Tip: Let kids sprinkle the toppings and practice making even layers.

Taquitos

These baked taquitos are filled with seasoned beef and cheese, then baked until crisp.

Ingredients

• 1 pound hamburger
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup salsa
• 2 teaspoons chili powder, optional
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• Flour tortillas
• Shredded cheese
• Oil for brushing

Directions

1. Brown hamburger with chopped onion and garlic. Drain.
2. Stir in salsa, chili powder if using, salt, and pepper.
3. Warm the flour tortillas.
4. Place beef mixture and shredded cheese on one end of each tortilla.
5. Roll up tightly and place on a foil-lined cookie sheet.
6. Brush the tops with oil.
7. Bake at 400 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown.
8. Serve with guacamole, sour cream, or salsa.

Kid-Friendly Tip: Kids can help spoon filling onto tortillas and sprinkle cheese before an adult rolls and bakes them.

Simple Guacamole

Learn how to make simple guacamole using fresh avocados and basic ingredients.

Simple Salsa

This simple salsa recipe uses fresh tomatoes, onions, and seasonings for a quick and easy dip.

Or try this Pico de Gallo recipe.

Kid-Friendly Tip: Kids can stir the salsa and taste-test mild versions with adult supervision.

Cheese Quesadillas

Cheese quesadillas are a simple Mexican cooking recipe kids can help assemble.

Ingredients

• 1 cup shredded Mexican or Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 green onion, minced
• 1 tablespoon canned chopped green chilies, or to taste
• 4 eight-inch flour tortillas
• Olive oil for brushing or oil for skillet cooking

Directions

1. Place one flour tortilla on a baking sheet or skillet.
2. Sprinkle cheese, green onion, and chilies over the tortilla.
3. Top with a second tortilla.
4. Brush the top lightly with olive oil and bake at 400 degrees until golden brown, or cook in a skillet with a little oil.
5. Cut into wedges and serve with sour cream, salsa, or tomatoes.

Variation: Make chicken quesadillas by adding chopped cooked marinated chicken with the cheese.

See more quesadilla recipes for kids.

Kid-Friendly Tip: Kids can sprinkle cheese and help choose fillings.

Sheet Pan Fajitas

Sheet pan fajitas are made with sliced steak, peppers, onions, and simple seasonings roasted together on one pan.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds flank steak, sliced into thin strips
• 1 pound mini sweet peppers, cut in half lengthwise and seeded
• 1 large red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
• 1 large lime, sliced
• 1 large avocado, diced, optional
• Corn tortillas or large lettuce leaves, optional

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine steak, peppers, onion, olive oil, cumin, chili powder, cayenne, and red pepper flakes.
3. Season with salt and pepper and mix until everything is well coated.
4. Spread the steak and pepper mixture onto the prepared baking sheet.
5. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the steak reaches the desired doneness and the peppers are soft.
6. Remove from oven and sprinkle with cilantro and lime juice.
7. Serve with diced avocado, corn tortillas, or lettuce wraps if desired.

Kid-Friendly Tip: Kids can help measure spices and arrange peppers on the sheet pan.

Empanadas

These baked empanadas use a simple homemade dough and a beef and cheese filling.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese
• Salt, pepper, or taco seasoning, to taste

Directions

1. Brown ground beef and onion together in a skillet.
2. Season with salt, pepper, or taco seasoning. Drain and set aside.
3. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
4. In a mixing bowl, add flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Stir together.
5. Add softened butter and blend together.
6. Slowly add milk until dough forms a ball. If dough is sticky, add more cornmeal.
7. On a floured surface, roll out dough and cut 3- to 4-inch circles.
8. Add cheese to the beef mixture.
9. Place 1 teaspoon of beef mixture in each dough circle.
10. Fold each circle in half and seal edges with a fork.
11. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown.

Variation: Try ham and cheese, pizza toppings, or fruit filling for a different empanada idea.

Kid-Friendly Tip: Kids can cut dough circles and press the edges closed with a fork.

Corn and Tomato Side Dish

This colorful corn and tomato side dish is tossed with avocado, lime juice, olive oil, and cilantro.

Ingredients

• 1 can corn, drained
• 1 to 2 tomatoes, diced
• 1 avocado, diced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1/4 cup cilantro
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• Diced red onion, optional

Directions

1. In a serving bowl, add corn, tomatoes, avocado, and onion if using.
2. In a measuring cup or bowl, stir together olive oil, lime juice, cilantro, salt, and pepper.
3. Pour dressing over the salad.
4. Toss gently to coat.
5. Serve immediately.

Kid-Friendly Tip: Kids can help stir the dressing and gently toss the salad.

Churros

This churros recipe makes sweet fried dough sticks sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
• Pinch of sugar
• 6 tablespoons flour
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 whole eggs
• Oil for frying
• Powdered sugar

Directions

1. In a saucepan, heat water, butter, and sugar until butter has melted and sugar is dissolved.
2. Add flour and blend together.
3. Turn heat to low and cook, stirring, until mixture forms a ball and pulls away from the pan.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs and egg yolk.
5. Remove dough from heat and slowly stir in beaten eggs.
6. Allow dough to cool.
7. Place dough in a zip-top bag or pastry bag. Clip a small hole in the corner if using a zip-top bag.
8. Squeeze dough into long sticks.
9. Fry in hot oil until golden brown and crisp.
10. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Kid-Friendly Tip: Adults should handle the hot oil. Kids can help sprinkle powdered sugar after the churros cool slightly.

Baked Not Fried Ice Cream

This simple dessert coats vanilla ice cream in crushed cornflakes, freezes it, and quickly broils the outside before serving.

Ingredients

• 3 cups cornflakes, crushed
• Vanilla ice cream

Directions

1. Place cornflakes in a zip-top bag and crush with a rolling pin or kitchen mallet.
2. Scoop vanilla ice cream into small scoops and roll each scoop into a ball.
3. Coat each ice cream ball with crushed cornflakes.
4. Place on a cookie sheet lined with waxed paper.
5. Freeze several hours.
6. Before serving, broil for about 30 seconds, just until the cornflakes are lightly browned.

Kid-Friendly Tip: Kids can crush the cornflakes and roll the ice cream in the coating.